Jump to content
Support our work - please give today

thenextguy: Trying to come off Cymbalta, trying bridge to Prozac - struggling

thenextguy

By thenextguy
in Introductions and updates

Recommended Posts

thenextguy Contributor

thenextguy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

@Go2zero @Altostrata

 

Okay, so I may have gotten cocky the other day when I said I felt great. I mean, I did feel great, but it doesn't look like I was in the clear after all. 

 

This afternoon I had that weird sensation where my heart started racing. My resting heart rate was 110-120 bpm. It feels similar to the Sunday when I freaked out and reinstated 20mg prozac, except it's not as severe. Perhaps because I'm still on 5mg? I'm not sure. I also have a slight headache and feel very warm, even though I don't have a fever. 

 

So far I can tolerate this. Do I try to ride it out? 

-Since 2017-ish I've been on Cymbalta & Mirtazapine. At max dose it was 120mg cymbalta and 45mg mirtazapine. This combo was meant to deal with a depressive episode and it worked. Over the next few years I tapered down from those high doses. I had tried to get off the cymbalta twice and had to reinstate twice. I don't remember when. Maybe 2018? 2019? 

-Since 2020 I've been stable 20mg cymbalta and 7.5mg mirtazapine (this is mainly for sleep now). I have come off of the mirtazapine before without trouble, but still take it occasionally for sleep. 

-August 2nd began taking 10mg prozac as a bridge to attempt to get off cymbalta. Took 10mg for about a week then 20mg for a few days. Stopped taking the cymbalta and was doing okay for a bit, but things didn't seem to get better and maybe have been getting worse. 

-8/25/2021 - 20mg cymbalta and struggling. Stopped the prozac. I'm struggling, but I can probably ride this out if I had to. My concern is that things will continue to get worse, as they seem to be doing. 

-8/29/2021 - things started to get worse. Probably prozac withdrawal. Reinstated 20mg prozac. 

-9/2/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 7.5 mg mirtazapine --> 9/24/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 11/7/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 4/24/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac   --> 6/5/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.33mg prozac

Link to comment
  • Replies 103
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • thenextguy

    56

  • Go2zero

    20

  • Altostrata

    16

  • Nanda

    8

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Posts

Go2zero
Go2zero

Great news! If you feel OK with the 20mg that's fine. You feel what you feel. And it is important that you feel confident with it. It is no exact science   Understand that fallbacks may occu

Nanda
Nanda

Honey, don't keep making changes to your medications.  I speak from experience.  Reintegrating 20mg of Prozac is too much, in its place, I would no longer take Prozac, I would take the dose of duloxet

Nanda
Nanda

@Altostrata ♥️ 

  • Moderator
Go2zero Contributor

Go2zero

Posted
  • Moderator
Posted
29 minutes ago, thenextguy said:

This afternoon I had that weird sensation where my heart started racing. My resting heart rate was 110-120 bpm.

This is a common WD symptom. It will go again. Hard to say how long it will take. I had it several times already. Sometimes it last a few day, sometimes many weeks.... 

1993    Anafranil (Clomipramine) for a few months. Later in 1993 Paxil for a few months 1993- 2006      No medication

2006   Effexor, Cymbalta, some Benzo’s. All for short periods. Later in 2006 Lexapro (escitalopram) 10 mg and shortly after Wellbutrin XR 150mg, against side effects Lexapro 

Since 2006 until end of 2015: Several times on and off Lexapro and Wellbutrin and several slight dosage changes. Mostly taken dosages: 5mg Lexapro and 150mg Wellbutrin

2016  Dosage change Lexapro from 5mg to 2,5 mg. Wellbutrin stayed om 150mg

November 2016 – April 2017 Down from 2,5mg to 0,6mg Lexapro (in steps) without much problems. Wellbutrin down from 150mg to 66mg. Also without much problems.

April 2017 – March 2019       Lexapro 0,6 mg        April 2017 - August 2018       Wellbutrin in small steps down from 66mg in to 37,5 mg . Quite heavy WD after each step.

March 2019 – May 2019 Lexapro down from 0,6 to 0,3mg then Prozac to 0,6 mg switch because severe discontinuation effects (may also have been from Wellbutrin..)    

Wellbutrin down from 37,5mg to 35,3mg 

October 2019        Seroquel 12,5 mg for 4 weeks because of extreme sleeping problems, then weaning off in 2 weeks       Prozac up dosage to 1,2 mg

March 2020     Wellbutrin in 2 steps down from 35,3mg to 33,3mg   Extreme withdrawal effects during 8 months. Stopped tapering Wellbutrin  until total off Prozac. 

February 2020 – November 2020   Prozac down in steps from 1,2mg to 0,57mg. 

Jan 2021 :  Prozac down to:  0,55> 0,53>0,51mg,   Feb 0,47mg ,  Mar 0,42mg,   Apr 0,37, longer hold because of WD symptoms July 0,36 and hold again, Sept 19 0,35, Sept 26 0,34mg, Oct 3 0,33mg  Long hold of 172 days until March 2022

January 20, 2022:  Wellbutrin from 33,3 to 32,3mg

March 22, 2022 Prozac down from 0,33mg to: 0,30mg, Apr 0,29, May 0,28, 0,27, June 0,26, 0,25, July 0,24, 0,23, 0,22, 0,21, Aug 0,20, 0,19 Sep 0,18, Oct 0,17. 0,16, 0,15, Nov 0,14  Jan 2023 0,13, 0,12, 0,11  Feb 0,10, 0,09 Mar 0,08 ,  June 0,07 , July 0,06,  0,05, Aug 0,04, 0,03, Sept 0,026, 0,024 Nov 0,022, 0,019, 0,016, 0,013 Dec 0,012, 0,011, 0,010, 0,009   Jan 2024 0,008, 0,007,  0,006,  0,005, 0,004, 0,003, 0,002, 0,001, Feb  0,0007.  0,0005,   0,0003, 0,0001,  

Feb 23, 2024:  0,00000

  

Supplements: Fish Oil (3000mg), Magnesium 100 mg, 2 drops of Lavender Oil, only when feeling extreme anxiety. 50mg of L-Theanine only when severe discontinuation effects caused by Wellbutrin

 

Please note this is NOT a medical advice. Discuss all your medical issues with a doctor who understands psychical drugs and really knows how to withdraw from them. I wish that you will find one.

Link to comment
  • Administrator
Altostrata Grand Master

Altostrata

Posted
  • Administrator
Posted

When was it you reduced to 5mg Prozac?

 

You've got several moving parts here. You recently reinstated 20mg Cymbalta, reduced your fluoxetine dosage, and stopped an antibiotic. We ask people to make one drug change at a time and observe the results of that change over a week. That way, we have a better idea where symptoms are coming from.

 

Because you have been making drug changes so frequently, we cannot tell you what this symptom might be. It could be a wave from your prior withdrawal. It could be a wave from your reinstating Cymbalta. It could be a wave from fluctuations in Prozac dosage. It could be a wave from the antibiotic.

 

Do you see how this works? We advise making drug changes a lot more methodically than doctors do. We don't want you to suffer adverse effects needlessly. They blithely switch and stop drugs and let the chips fall where they may. We do a lot of cleaning up here from these doctor's orders.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

Link to comment
thenextguy Contributor

thenextguy

Posted
  • Author
Posted
19 hours ago, Altostrata said:

When was it you reduced to 5mg Prozac?


August 31: 20mg

September 1: 10mg

September 2 and since: 5mg

-Since 2017-ish I've been on Cymbalta & Mirtazapine. At max dose it was 120mg cymbalta and 45mg mirtazapine. This combo was meant to deal with a depressive episode and it worked. Over the next few years I tapered down from those high doses. I had tried to get off the cymbalta twice and had to reinstate twice. I don't remember when. Maybe 2018? 2019? 

-Since 2020 I've been stable 20mg cymbalta and 7.5mg mirtazapine (this is mainly for sleep now). I have come off of the mirtazapine before without trouble, but still take it occasionally for sleep. 

-August 2nd began taking 10mg prozac as a bridge to attempt to get off cymbalta. Took 10mg for about a week then 20mg for a few days. Stopped taking the cymbalta and was doing okay for a bit, but things didn't seem to get better and maybe have been getting worse. 

-8/25/2021 - 20mg cymbalta and struggling. Stopped the prozac. I'm struggling, but I can probably ride this out if I had to. My concern is that things will continue to get worse, as they seem to be doing. 

-8/29/2021 - things started to get worse. Probably prozac withdrawal. Reinstated 20mg prozac. 

-9/2/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 7.5 mg mirtazapine --> 9/24/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 11/7/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 4/24/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac   --> 6/5/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.33mg prozac

Link to comment
  • Administrator
Altostrata Grand Master

Altostrata

Posted
  • Administrator
Posted

Please keep daily notes of times o’clock you take your drugs, their dosages, and your symptoms throughout the day. We need to know how you feel before and after taking each drug, and your symptoms in between. Post 24 hours of notes at a time in this topic, in a simple list format with time of day on the left and notation (symptom or drug and dosage) on the right. This can show if your symptoms are adverse effects from one of your drugs.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

Link to comment
thenextguy Contributor

thenextguy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Feel like I may have turned a corner yesterday, but as there have been false starts in the past I'm being cautious. But the depression is gone, not even small waves of it. Only thing I'm dealing with at the moment is some minor nausea and slight irritability. But very minor. Fingers crossed....again!

-Since 2017-ish I've been on Cymbalta & Mirtazapine. At max dose it was 120mg cymbalta and 45mg mirtazapine. This combo was meant to deal with a depressive episode and it worked. Over the next few years I tapered down from those high doses. I had tried to get off the cymbalta twice and had to reinstate twice. I don't remember when. Maybe 2018? 2019? 

-Since 2020 I've been stable 20mg cymbalta and 7.5mg mirtazapine (this is mainly for sleep now). I have come off of the mirtazapine before without trouble, but still take it occasionally for sleep. 

-August 2nd began taking 10mg prozac as a bridge to attempt to get off cymbalta. Took 10mg for about a week then 20mg for a few days. Stopped taking the cymbalta and was doing okay for a bit, but things didn't seem to get better and maybe have been getting worse. 

-8/25/2021 - 20mg cymbalta and struggling. Stopped the prozac. I'm struggling, but I can probably ride this out if I had to. My concern is that things will continue to get worse, as they seem to be doing. 

-8/29/2021 - things started to get worse. Probably prozac withdrawal. Reinstated 20mg prozac. 

-9/2/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 7.5 mg mirtazapine --> 9/24/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 11/7/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 4/24/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac   --> 6/5/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.33mg prozac

Link to comment
  • Moderator
Go2zero Contributor

Go2zero

Posted
  • Moderator
Posted

Great sign. This pattern may continue for  a while. So don't be too disappointed when that happens.

 

This seems to be a typical waves and windows pattern. But the fact that you seem to be having longer lasting windows is a great sign of healing!

1993    Anafranil (Clomipramine) for a few months. Later in 1993 Paxil for a few months 1993- 2006      No medication

2006   Effexor, Cymbalta, some Benzo’s. All for short periods. Later in 2006 Lexapro (escitalopram) 10 mg and shortly after Wellbutrin XR 150mg, against side effects Lexapro 

Since 2006 until end of 2015: Several times on and off Lexapro and Wellbutrin and several slight dosage changes. Mostly taken dosages: 5mg Lexapro and 150mg Wellbutrin

2016  Dosage change Lexapro from 5mg to 2,5 mg. Wellbutrin stayed om 150mg

November 2016 – April 2017 Down from 2,5mg to 0,6mg Lexapro (in steps) without much problems. Wellbutrin down from 150mg to 66mg. Also without much problems.

April 2017 – March 2019       Lexapro 0,6 mg        April 2017 - August 2018       Wellbutrin in small steps down from 66mg in to 37,5 mg . Quite heavy WD after each step.

March 2019 – May 2019 Lexapro down from 0,6 to 0,3mg then Prozac to 0,6 mg switch because severe discontinuation effects (may also have been from Wellbutrin..)    

Wellbutrin down from 37,5mg to 35,3mg 

October 2019        Seroquel 12,5 mg for 4 weeks because of extreme sleeping problems, then weaning off in 2 weeks       Prozac up dosage to 1,2 mg

March 2020     Wellbutrin in 2 steps down from 35,3mg to 33,3mg   Extreme withdrawal effects during 8 months. Stopped tapering Wellbutrin  until total off Prozac. 

February 2020 – November 2020   Prozac down in steps from 1,2mg to 0,57mg. 

Jan 2021 :  Prozac down to:  0,55> 0,53>0,51mg,   Feb 0,47mg ,  Mar 0,42mg,   Apr 0,37, longer hold because of WD symptoms July 0,36 and hold again, Sept 19 0,35, Sept 26 0,34mg, Oct 3 0,33mg  Long hold of 172 days until March 2022

January 20, 2022:  Wellbutrin from 33,3 to 32,3mg

March 22, 2022 Prozac down from 0,33mg to: 0,30mg, Apr 0,29, May 0,28, 0,27, June 0,26, 0,25, July 0,24, 0,23, 0,22, 0,21, Aug 0,20, 0,19 Sep 0,18, Oct 0,17. 0,16, 0,15, Nov 0,14  Jan 2023 0,13, 0,12, 0,11  Feb 0,10, 0,09 Mar 0,08 ,  June 0,07 , July 0,06,  0,05, Aug 0,04, 0,03, Sept 0,026, 0,024 Nov 0,022, 0,019, 0,016, 0,013 Dec 0,012, 0,011, 0,010, 0,009   Jan 2024 0,008, 0,007,  0,006,  0,005, 0,004, 0,003, 0,002, 0,001, Feb  0,0007.  0,0005,   0,0003, 0,0001,  

Feb 23, 2024:  0,00000

  

Supplements: Fish Oil (3000mg), Magnesium 100 mg, 2 drops of Lavender Oil, only when feeling extreme anxiety. 50mg of L-Theanine only when severe discontinuation effects caused by Wellbutrin

 

Please note this is NOT a medical advice. Discuss all your medical issues with a doctor who understands psychical drugs and really knows how to withdraw from them. I wish that you will find one.

Link to comment
thenextguy Contributor

thenextguy

Posted
  • Author
Posted
22 minutes ago, Go2zero said:

Great sign. This pattern may continue for  a while. So don't be too disappointed when that happens.

 

This seems to be a typical waves and windows pattern. But the fact that you seem to be having longer lasting windows is a great sign of healing!


Yes, there still might be some ups and downs, but I’m a little more optimistic this time because I’ve been on the same meds for 12 days in a row for the first time in a while. I think the worst is over at these doasages.

 

Should I wait until I feel 100% until I cut the remaining 5mg of Prozac? I’d say I’m 90% right now. I will evaluate at the 2 week mark on Wednesday/Thursday.

-Since 2017-ish I've been on Cymbalta & Mirtazapine. At max dose it was 120mg cymbalta and 45mg mirtazapine. This combo was meant to deal with a depressive episode and it worked. Over the next few years I tapered down from those high doses. I had tried to get off the cymbalta twice and had to reinstate twice. I don't remember when. Maybe 2018? 2019? 

-Since 2020 I've been stable 20mg cymbalta and 7.5mg mirtazapine (this is mainly for sleep now). I have come off of the mirtazapine before without trouble, but still take it occasionally for sleep. 

-August 2nd began taking 10mg prozac as a bridge to attempt to get off cymbalta. Took 10mg for about a week then 20mg for a few days. Stopped taking the cymbalta and was doing okay for a bit, but things didn't seem to get better and maybe have been getting worse. 

-8/25/2021 - 20mg cymbalta and struggling. Stopped the prozac. I'm struggling, but I can probably ride this out if I had to. My concern is that things will continue to get worse, as they seem to be doing. 

-8/29/2021 - things started to get worse. Probably prozac withdrawal. Reinstated 20mg prozac. 

-9/2/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 7.5 mg mirtazapine --> 9/24/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 11/7/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 4/24/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac   --> 6/5/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.33mg prozac

Link to comment
  • Moderator
Go2zero Contributor

Go2zero

Posted
  • Moderator
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, thenextguy said:

Should I wait until I feel 100% until I cut the remaining 5mg of Prozac? I’d say I’m 90% right now. I will evaluate at the 2 week mark on Wednesday/Thursday.

 

Since it is so recent, maybe better wait a few days. If you keep feeling this good, you could go down. Better in steps I guess, not in 1 time!

Edited by Go2zero

1993    Anafranil (Clomipramine) for a few months. Later in 1993 Paxil for a few months 1993- 2006      No medication

2006   Effexor, Cymbalta, some Benzo’s. All for short periods. Later in 2006 Lexapro (escitalopram) 10 mg and shortly after Wellbutrin XR 150mg, against side effects Lexapro 

Since 2006 until end of 2015: Several times on and off Lexapro and Wellbutrin and several slight dosage changes. Mostly taken dosages: 5mg Lexapro and 150mg Wellbutrin

2016  Dosage change Lexapro from 5mg to 2,5 mg. Wellbutrin stayed om 150mg

November 2016 – April 2017 Down from 2,5mg to 0,6mg Lexapro (in steps) without much problems. Wellbutrin down from 150mg to 66mg. Also without much problems.

April 2017 – March 2019       Lexapro 0,6 mg        April 2017 - August 2018       Wellbutrin in small steps down from 66mg in to 37,5 mg . Quite heavy WD after each step.

March 2019 – May 2019 Lexapro down from 0,6 to 0,3mg then Prozac to 0,6 mg switch because severe discontinuation effects (may also have been from Wellbutrin..)    

Wellbutrin down from 37,5mg to 35,3mg 

October 2019        Seroquel 12,5 mg for 4 weeks because of extreme sleeping problems, then weaning off in 2 weeks       Prozac up dosage to 1,2 mg

March 2020     Wellbutrin in 2 steps down from 35,3mg to 33,3mg   Extreme withdrawal effects during 8 months. Stopped tapering Wellbutrin  until total off Prozac. 

February 2020 – November 2020   Prozac down in steps from 1,2mg to 0,57mg. 

Jan 2021 :  Prozac down to:  0,55> 0,53>0,51mg,   Feb 0,47mg ,  Mar 0,42mg,   Apr 0,37, longer hold because of WD symptoms July 0,36 and hold again, Sept 19 0,35, Sept 26 0,34mg, Oct 3 0,33mg  Long hold of 172 days until March 2022

January 20, 2022:  Wellbutrin from 33,3 to 32,3mg

March 22, 2022 Prozac down from 0,33mg to: 0,30mg, Apr 0,29, May 0,28, 0,27, June 0,26, 0,25, July 0,24, 0,23, 0,22, 0,21, Aug 0,20, 0,19 Sep 0,18, Oct 0,17. 0,16, 0,15, Nov 0,14  Jan 2023 0,13, 0,12, 0,11  Feb 0,10, 0,09 Mar 0,08 ,  June 0,07 , July 0,06,  0,05, Aug 0,04, 0,03, Sept 0,026, 0,024 Nov 0,022, 0,019, 0,016, 0,013 Dec 0,012, 0,011, 0,010, 0,009   Jan 2024 0,008, 0,007,  0,006,  0,005, 0,004, 0,003, 0,002, 0,001, Feb  0,0007.  0,0005,   0,0003, 0,0001,  

Feb 23, 2024:  0,00000

  

Supplements: Fish Oil (3000mg), Magnesium 100 mg, 2 drops of Lavender Oil, only when feeling extreme anxiety. 50mg of L-Theanine only when severe discontinuation effects caused by Wellbutrin

 

Please note this is NOT a medical advice. Discuss all your medical issues with a doctor who understands psychical drugs and really knows how to withdraw from them. I wish that you will find one.

Link to comment
thenextguy Contributor

thenextguy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I do think I'm going to stay at 5mg a little bit longer than the 2 weeks originally planned. Maybe another week. Maybe two. I'll play it by ear. I feel like I'm pretty close to stabilizing and I don't want to do anything to rock the boat. 

 

Because of prozac's long half life, I know I could still have some in my system from doses I took a month ago. Because of that I think holding at 5mg for a bit more is wise. 

 

I'm doing well though.

-Since 2017-ish I've been on Cymbalta & Mirtazapine. At max dose it was 120mg cymbalta and 45mg mirtazapine. This combo was meant to deal with a depressive episode and it worked. Over the next few years I tapered down from those high doses. I had tried to get off the cymbalta twice and had to reinstate twice. I don't remember when. Maybe 2018? 2019? 

-Since 2020 I've been stable 20mg cymbalta and 7.5mg mirtazapine (this is mainly for sleep now). I have come off of the mirtazapine before without trouble, but still take it occasionally for sleep. 

-August 2nd began taking 10mg prozac as a bridge to attempt to get off cymbalta. Took 10mg for about a week then 20mg for a few days. Stopped taking the cymbalta and was doing okay for a bit, but things didn't seem to get better and maybe have been getting worse. 

-8/25/2021 - 20mg cymbalta and struggling. Stopped the prozac. I'm struggling, but I can probably ride this out if I had to. My concern is that things will continue to get worse, as they seem to be doing. 

-8/29/2021 - things started to get worse. Probably prozac withdrawal. Reinstated 20mg prozac. 

-9/2/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 7.5 mg mirtazapine --> 9/24/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 11/7/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 4/24/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac   --> 6/5/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.33mg prozac

Link to comment
  • Moderator
Go2zero Contributor

Go2zero

Posted
  • Moderator
Posted
7 hours ago, thenextguy said:

Because of prozac's long half life, I know I could still have some in my system from doses I took a month ago. Because of that I think holding at 5mg for a bit more is wise. 

 

I do not get the logic here. The 5 mg you take now will also be longer in your body then....

 

It is fine to hold if you choose so, but watch out that you do not stay on 2 drugs at the same time. You were on 20mg cymbalta before. You switched back to cymbalta after the prozac bridge.  So why stay too long on Prozac with the risk of problems stopping that after being too long on it.

 

You could start to go down a little, let's say 4 mg? What do you think?

1993    Anafranil (Clomipramine) for a few months. Later in 1993 Paxil for a few months 1993- 2006      No medication

2006   Effexor, Cymbalta, some Benzo’s. All for short periods. Later in 2006 Lexapro (escitalopram) 10 mg and shortly after Wellbutrin XR 150mg, against side effects Lexapro 

Since 2006 until end of 2015: Several times on and off Lexapro and Wellbutrin and several slight dosage changes. Mostly taken dosages: 5mg Lexapro and 150mg Wellbutrin

2016  Dosage change Lexapro from 5mg to 2,5 mg. Wellbutrin stayed om 150mg

November 2016 – April 2017 Down from 2,5mg to 0,6mg Lexapro (in steps) without much problems. Wellbutrin down from 150mg to 66mg. Also without much problems.

April 2017 – March 2019       Lexapro 0,6 mg        April 2017 - August 2018       Wellbutrin in small steps down from 66mg in to 37,5 mg . Quite heavy WD after each step.

March 2019 – May 2019 Lexapro down from 0,6 to 0,3mg then Prozac to 0,6 mg switch because severe discontinuation effects (may also have been from Wellbutrin..)    

Wellbutrin down from 37,5mg to 35,3mg 

October 2019        Seroquel 12,5 mg for 4 weeks because of extreme sleeping problems, then weaning off in 2 weeks       Prozac up dosage to 1,2 mg

March 2020     Wellbutrin in 2 steps down from 35,3mg to 33,3mg   Extreme withdrawal effects during 8 months. Stopped tapering Wellbutrin  until total off Prozac. 

February 2020 – November 2020   Prozac down in steps from 1,2mg to 0,57mg. 

Jan 2021 :  Prozac down to:  0,55> 0,53>0,51mg,   Feb 0,47mg ,  Mar 0,42mg,   Apr 0,37, longer hold because of WD symptoms July 0,36 and hold again, Sept 19 0,35, Sept 26 0,34mg, Oct 3 0,33mg  Long hold of 172 days until March 2022

January 20, 2022:  Wellbutrin from 33,3 to 32,3mg

March 22, 2022 Prozac down from 0,33mg to: 0,30mg, Apr 0,29, May 0,28, 0,27, June 0,26, 0,25, July 0,24, 0,23, 0,22, 0,21, Aug 0,20, 0,19 Sep 0,18, Oct 0,17. 0,16, 0,15, Nov 0,14  Jan 2023 0,13, 0,12, 0,11  Feb 0,10, 0,09 Mar 0,08 ,  June 0,07 , July 0,06,  0,05, Aug 0,04, 0,03, Sept 0,026, 0,024 Nov 0,022, 0,019, 0,016, 0,013 Dec 0,012, 0,011, 0,010, 0,009   Jan 2024 0,008, 0,007,  0,006,  0,005, 0,004, 0,003, 0,002, 0,001, Feb  0,0007.  0,0005,   0,0003, 0,0001,  

Feb 23, 2024:  0,00000

  

Supplements: Fish Oil (3000mg), Magnesium 100 mg, 2 drops of Lavender Oil, only when feeling extreme anxiety. 50mg of L-Theanine only when severe discontinuation effects caused by Wellbutrin

 

Please note this is NOT a medical advice. Discuss all your medical issues with a doctor who understands psychical drugs and really knows how to withdraw from them. I wish that you will find one.

Link to comment
thenextguy Contributor

thenextguy

Posted
  • Author
Posted
9 hours ago, Go2zero said:

I do not get the logic here. The 5 mg you take now will also be longer in your body then....

You could start to go down a little, let's say 4 mg? What do you think?

 

Even though I've been on 5mg for 2 weeks, every day I'm still effectively cutting doses as the prozac from when I was taking 20mg leaves my body. I'm concerned about cutting too soon from 5mg.

 

9 hours ago, Go2zero said:

You could start to go down a little, let's say 4 mg? What do you think?

 

I'm going to talk to my doctor tomorrow about getting liquid prozac. I don't know much about it. From what I've read they make multiple formulations. Can you recommend one?

-Since 2017-ish I've been on Cymbalta & Mirtazapine. At max dose it was 120mg cymbalta and 45mg mirtazapine. This combo was meant to deal with a depressive episode and it worked. Over the next few years I tapered down from those high doses. I had tried to get off the cymbalta twice and had to reinstate twice. I don't remember when. Maybe 2018? 2019? 

-Since 2020 I've been stable 20mg cymbalta and 7.5mg mirtazapine (this is mainly for sleep now). I have come off of the mirtazapine before without trouble, but still take it occasionally for sleep. 

-August 2nd began taking 10mg prozac as a bridge to attempt to get off cymbalta. Took 10mg for about a week then 20mg for a few days. Stopped taking the cymbalta and was doing okay for a bit, but things didn't seem to get better and maybe have been getting worse. 

-8/25/2021 - 20mg cymbalta and struggling. Stopped the prozac. I'm struggling, but I can probably ride this out if I had to. My concern is that things will continue to get worse, as they seem to be doing. 

-8/29/2021 - things started to get worse. Probably prozac withdrawal. Reinstated 20mg prozac. 

-9/2/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 7.5 mg mirtazapine --> 9/24/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 11/7/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 4/24/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac   --> 6/5/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.33mg prozac

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus
getofflex Grand Master

getofflex

Posted
  • Moderator Emeritus
Posted
49 minutes ago, thenextguy said:

From what I've read they make multiple formulations. Can you recommend one?

I think any liquid Prozac from a reputable pharmacy will be fine.  When you switch from the tablet to a liquid, do a gradual crossover:  

 

week 1.  3/4 tablet. 1/4 liquid. 

week 2.  1/2 tablet.  1/2 liquid. 

week 3.  1/4 tablet.  3/4 liquid.  

week 4.  all liquid.  

52 minutes ago, thenextguy said:

Even though I've been on 5mg for 2 weeks, every day I'm still effectively cutting doses as the prozac from when I was taking 20mg leaves my body.

Can you please update your drug signature to show when you made these dose changes?  Thank you.  

Please do not private message me.  Only tag me for urgent questions about tapering and reinstating - thank you.  

 

***Please note this is not medical advice.  Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a doctor who understands psych meds and how to withdraw from them, if you can find one.

 

Lexapro   Started Apr 15 2010 - 10 mg;  started taper August 2017, recent taper info: Apr 2 '20  0.18 mg; Jul 16  0.17 mg, Aug 23  0.16 mg, Oct 7  0.15 mg, Nov 8 - 0.14, Jan 16 '21 - 0.13, Feb 7 - 0.12, Feb 22 - 0.11, Mar 26 - 0.10, May 21 - 0.09, June 15 - 0.08 Aug 16 - 0.07, Oct 6 - 0.06, Nov 21 0.05, Dec. 17 0.04, Jan 14 '22 0.03, Feb 19 0.02, Apr 18 0.01, May 15 0.005,  Jul 8, 0.00.  Psych Drug Free as of July 8, 2022!!  Woohoo!!!

other meds: Levothyroxine 75 mg

magnesium in small amounts at 4 AM, before bed

suppl AM: fish oil, flax oil, vit C, vit E, multivitamin, zinc

suppl 8 PM: magnesium 350 mg, extended release vitamin C, melatonin 2 mg

 

Paxil 2002 - 2010, switched to Lexapro 2010 

Trazodone 50 mg. 2002 - 2019, fast tapered in 2019 

Xanax 0.5 mg as needed 2002 - 2019, up to 3x weekly 

Link to comment
  • 4 weeks later...
thenextguy Contributor

thenextguy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Hi Everyone,

 

I haven't stopped by in a while and thought I would post an update. If for no other reason than for documentation purposes. 

 

About 2 weeks ago I felt that I was feeling 100% or extremely close to it. My plan was to taper the prozac, but I figured that I would dump the mirtazapine first. I know that some people have trouble coming off that drug, but I have done so several times in the past. The last couple of years I have used the drug mainly for sleep and I have gone from 7.5mg to 0mg with minimal problems. Some withdrawal, but it never lasted more than a couple of days. 

 

So I figured that since I have feeling pretty stabilized, I would try to do the same thing again. This time it didn't go smoothly at all. I really struggled with it and after a couple of days I decided to reinstate 3.75mg. And that's where I'm at today. I also feel like it may have caused a bit of a setback on my stabilization from the other drugs. Not sure, but it seems that way.

 

So what I've learned is that even if you feel 100%, things aren't completely healed "under the hood," so to speak. So I'm waiting to feel stable again and then I'll probably wait a couple of weeks before trying to knock off the last 3.75mg of mirtazapine. And then I'll tackle the prozac. 

 

It's been 47 days since I reinstated Cymbalta at 20mg and I'm not sure I'm 100% recovered from that. I do feel much better, but I'm not sure I'm completely healed even though I was feeling 100%. So I'm a bit nervous to tackle the prozac too soon. 

 

So there's an update for posterity. Staying at these levels for the time being. Will update when that changes. Hope everyone is doing well. Much love to all! 💗

-Since 2017-ish I've been on Cymbalta & Mirtazapine. At max dose it was 120mg cymbalta and 45mg mirtazapine. This combo was meant to deal with a depressive episode and it worked. Over the next few years I tapered down from those high doses. I had tried to get off the cymbalta twice and had to reinstate twice. I don't remember when. Maybe 2018? 2019? 

-Since 2020 I've been stable 20mg cymbalta and 7.5mg mirtazapine (this is mainly for sleep now). I have come off of the mirtazapine before without trouble, but still take it occasionally for sleep. 

-August 2nd began taking 10mg prozac as a bridge to attempt to get off cymbalta. Took 10mg for about a week then 20mg for a few days. Stopped taking the cymbalta and was doing okay for a bit, but things didn't seem to get better and maybe have been getting worse. 

-8/25/2021 - 20mg cymbalta and struggling. Stopped the prozac. I'm struggling, but I can probably ride this out if I had to. My concern is that things will continue to get worse, as they seem to be doing. 

-8/29/2021 - things started to get worse. Probably prozac withdrawal. Reinstated 20mg prozac. 

-9/2/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 7.5 mg mirtazapine --> 9/24/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 11/7/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 4/24/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac   --> 6/5/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.33mg prozac

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...
thenextguy Contributor

thenextguy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Hey everyone. Most of my symptoms have resolved, but I still seem to be struggling with nausea. And I think it's related to delayed gastric emptying. The thing is that I also take another drug, Ozempic, that has delayed gastric emptying as a side effect; however, that side effect had gone away several months ago from that drug. But it was because of that that I recognized the symptoms. And I just started reading about how delayed gastric emptying can be a side effect of cymbalta and from withdrawals. 

 

It's been two months since I reinstated and that seems to be the lone holdout on symptoms. But it's really a problem. I won't be hungry for hours, but then suddenly my hunger comes on rapidly and ravenously. Like, I go from "Ugh, I can't eat a thing" to "OMG, if I don't eat something I'm going to lose my mind." 

 

Does this sound like it could be related to the withdrawals? Is there anything I can do to help it? I assume it will go away eventually? I hope? Just wait it out? 

 

@Altostrata I found some old posts via the search function and would love to hear what you think. Thank you.

-Since 2017-ish I've been on Cymbalta & Mirtazapine. At max dose it was 120mg cymbalta and 45mg mirtazapine. This combo was meant to deal with a depressive episode and it worked. Over the next few years I tapered down from those high doses. I had tried to get off the cymbalta twice and had to reinstate twice. I don't remember when. Maybe 2018? 2019? 

-Since 2020 I've been stable 20mg cymbalta and 7.5mg mirtazapine (this is mainly for sleep now). I have come off of the mirtazapine before without trouble, but still take it occasionally for sleep. 

-August 2nd began taking 10mg prozac as a bridge to attempt to get off cymbalta. Took 10mg for about a week then 20mg for a few days. Stopped taking the cymbalta and was doing okay for a bit, but things didn't seem to get better and maybe have been getting worse. 

-8/25/2021 - 20mg cymbalta and struggling. Stopped the prozac. I'm struggling, but I can probably ride this out if I had to. My concern is that things will continue to get worse, as they seem to be doing. 

-8/29/2021 - things started to get worse. Probably prozac withdrawal. Reinstated 20mg prozac. 

-9/2/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 7.5 mg mirtazapine --> 9/24/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 11/7/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 4/24/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac   --> 6/5/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.33mg prozac

Link to comment
Sunflower414 Contributor

Sunflower414

Posted
Posted
On 8/24/2021 at 8:51 PM, thenextguy said:

Hello everyone, 

A little bit of a background on me. I've been on SSRI/SNRI medication for about 10 years. My most recent medication was Cymbalta. In the last year I had decided that I haven't had a depressive episode in a long time and wanted to try to come off it. I was able to taper down to 20mg using the manufacturer capsules (60mg --> 50mg (20+30) --> 40mg --> 30mg --> 20mg. 

I had attempted to cold turkey from 20mg twice and failed miserably. I only recently became aware of how difficult that is to do and the strategies and techniques discussed on this website. 

In the past I had tapered off of benzodiazepines by switching from Ativan (short half live) to Valium (long half life) and tapering from there. I had success with that several years ago and no longer take benzos.

So I read about bridging  from short acting SSRI/SNRIs to longer ones (prozac). So I decided to give that a try. I had my doctor prescribe me prozac. Here's how it went. 

Day 1: 10mg prozac, 20mg cymbalta
Day 2: 10mg prozac, 20mg cymbalta
Day 3: 10mg prozac, 20mg cymbalta
Day 4: 10mg prozac, 20mg cymbalta
Day 5: 20mg prozac, 20mg cymbalta
Day 6: 20mg prozac, 20mg cymbalta
Day 7: 20mg prozac, 0mg cymbalta
Day 8: 20mg prozac, 0mg cymbalta
Day 9: 20mg prozac, 20mg cymbalta (decided to take one more dose of cymbalta to ease the landing)
Day 10 through 23 (today): 20mg prozac

 

I had intended to wait until I stabilized on 20mg prozac before I began tapering, but that hasn't happened yet.

In retrospect, I think going from 20mg to 0mg cymbalta was WAY to rapid, even with a bridge. 

 

I'm currently struggling and I'm not sure what the best strategy is. 

 

The first week off cymbalta wasn't too bad and I figured the bridge was working. But I'm not sure if things have gotten better since then. In fact, they may have gotten worse. 

Does that make sense? I assumed that the further away I got from 0mg cymbalta, it would get better. But I'm not sure if that has happened.

 

I'm considering reinstating cymbalta and then just microtaper from cymbalta (bead counting or weighing). But I've read that once you introduce a new med, that is not advised. 

 

Anyway, trying to figure all this out. Thank you to anyone listening. 

 

Any advice would be great!

 

I should add that so far the worst symptoms are anxiety, irritability, and sharp pain in the back of my shoulder. 

 

Edit: One more edit! I forgot to mention that take 7.5mg of mirtazapine at night for sleep. I originally took it as an antidepressant, but now I only take it for sleep. Not sure if that's relevant. 


 

how long has it been since you stopped cymbalta? I personally, if it’s been under two weeks, would switch back to cymbalta and micro taper off of it. I tried to bridge multiple times from Paxil to Prozac and it only caused more havoc. I know it works for some, though! 
 

prayers to you.

1

Medicated at age 7. Many med changes (over 20). Tapered off Xanax in 2018. 
 

PAXIL TAPER:  
2021: Feb. dropped from 20mg to 15mg Paxil. Terrible. Bedridden for 8 months.  Oct. - 14.6mg  Oct. 27 - 14.2 mg Nov. 14 - 14mg  Feb. 28 - 13.6mg March. 28 - 13.4mg April 5 - 13.4mg but introducing liquid (bad reaction)  2022:  November 14 - 13.2mg  2023:  January 4 - 13mg March 7 - 12.7mg April 20 - 12.4mg May 16 - 12.1mg Aug. 30 - 12mg Oct. 19 - switched from tablet to liquid from compounding pharmacy Nov. 12. 11.65mg Nov. 30 - 11.3mg Dec. 18 - 10.95 2024 Jan. 4 - 10.75 Feb. 10 - 10.4 Feb. 28 - 10MG!!!!!!

Link to comment
thenextguy Contributor

thenextguy

Posted
  • Author
Posted
40 minutes ago, Sunflower414 said:


 

how long has it been since you stopped cymbalta? I personally, if it’s been under two weeks, would switch back to cymbalta and micro taper off of it. I tried to bridge multiple times from Paxil to Prozac and it only caused more havoc. I know it works for some, though! 
 

prayers to you.

 

Thank you, Sunflower. 💗 I did end up reinstating. My plan is to wait until I stabilize and then do a proper taper. 

-Since 2017-ish I've been on Cymbalta & Mirtazapine. At max dose it was 120mg cymbalta and 45mg mirtazapine. This combo was meant to deal with a depressive episode and it worked. Over the next few years I tapered down from those high doses. I had tried to get off the cymbalta twice and had to reinstate twice. I don't remember when. Maybe 2018? 2019? 

-Since 2020 I've been stable 20mg cymbalta and 7.5mg mirtazapine (this is mainly for sleep now). I have come off of the mirtazapine before without trouble, but still take it occasionally for sleep. 

-August 2nd began taking 10mg prozac as a bridge to attempt to get off cymbalta. Took 10mg for about a week then 20mg for a few days. Stopped taking the cymbalta and was doing okay for a bit, but things didn't seem to get better and maybe have been getting worse. 

-8/25/2021 - 20mg cymbalta and struggling. Stopped the prozac. I'm struggling, but I can probably ride this out if I had to. My concern is that things will continue to get worse, as they seem to be doing. 

-8/29/2021 - things started to get worse. Probably prozac withdrawal. Reinstated 20mg prozac. 

-9/2/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 7.5 mg mirtazapine --> 9/24/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 11/7/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 4/24/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac   --> 6/5/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.33mg prozac

Link to comment
Sunflower414 Contributor

Sunflower414

Posted
Posted

No problem. I’ll be praying for you. Always post if you need to chat! I know this can be a lonely road.  @thenextguy

Medicated at age 7. Many med changes (over 20). Tapered off Xanax in 2018. 
 

PAXIL TAPER:  
2021: Feb. dropped from 20mg to 15mg Paxil. Terrible. Bedridden for 8 months.  Oct. - 14.6mg  Oct. 27 - 14.2 mg Nov. 14 - 14mg  Feb. 28 - 13.6mg March. 28 - 13.4mg April 5 - 13.4mg but introducing liquid (bad reaction)  2022:  November 14 - 13.2mg  2023:  January 4 - 13mg March 7 - 12.7mg April 20 - 12.4mg May 16 - 12.1mg Aug. 30 - 12mg Oct. 19 - switched from tablet to liquid from compounding pharmacy Nov. 12. 11.65mg Nov. 30 - 11.3mg Dec. 18 - 10.95 2024 Jan. 4 - 10.75 Feb. 10 - 10.4 Feb. 28 - 10MG!!!!!!

Link to comment
  • Administrator
Altostrata Grand Master

Altostrata

Posted
  • Administrator
Posted

Apparently you experienced withdrawal from cutting mirtazapine from 7.5mg to 3.75mg less than 3 weeks ago? Have those symptoms gone away?

 

You had not mentioned Ozempic before. Please put ALL your drugs in this Interactions Checker and post the report or a link to it in this topic.

 

It is possible that mirtazapine withdrawal symptoms rocked the boat and you no longer tolerate Ozempic as you did before.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

Link to comment
thenextguy Contributor

thenextguy

Posted
  • Author
Posted
7 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

Apparently you experienced withdrawal from cutting mirtazapine from 7.5mg to 3.75mg less than 3 weeks ago? Have those symptoms gone away?

 

You had not mentioned Ozempic before. Please put ALL your drugs in this Interactions Checker and post the report or a link to it in this topic.

 

It is possible that mirtazapine withdrawal symptoms rocked the boat and you no longer tolerate Ozempic as you did before.

 

I went back and checked my records. The date in my signature was from when I updated it. But I've been on 3.75mg of mirtazapine since 9/24/2021. I updated my signature. 

 

And yeah, the withdrawals from that only lasted about a week. Whereas this recent increase in nausea only happened in the last 7-10 days. 

-Since 2017-ish I've been on Cymbalta & Mirtazapine. At max dose it was 120mg cymbalta and 45mg mirtazapine. This combo was meant to deal with a depressive episode and it worked. Over the next few years I tapered down from those high doses. I had tried to get off the cymbalta twice and had to reinstate twice. I don't remember when. Maybe 2018? 2019? 

-Since 2020 I've been stable 20mg cymbalta and 7.5mg mirtazapine (this is mainly for sleep now). I have come off of the mirtazapine before without trouble, but still take it occasionally for sleep. 

-August 2nd began taking 10mg prozac as a bridge to attempt to get off cymbalta. Took 10mg for about a week then 20mg for a few days. Stopped taking the cymbalta and was doing okay for a bit, but things didn't seem to get better and maybe have been getting worse. 

-8/25/2021 - 20mg cymbalta and struggling. Stopped the prozac. I'm struggling, but I can probably ride this out if I had to. My concern is that things will continue to get worse, as they seem to be doing. 

-8/29/2021 - things started to get worse. Probably prozac withdrawal. Reinstated 20mg prozac. 

-9/2/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 7.5 mg mirtazapine --> 9/24/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 11/7/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 4/24/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac   --> 6/5/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.33mg prozac

Link to comment
  • Administrator
Altostrata Grand Master

Altostrata

Posted
  • Administrator
Posted

Need the drug interactions report.

 

What is your current daily schedule for ALL drugs, times o'clock with dosages? How do you feel before and after each dose? Is the nausea more intense at any particular times of day?

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

Link to comment
thenextguy Contributor

thenextguy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

 

7 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

Need the drug interactions report.

 

What is your current daily schedule for ALL drugs, times o'clock with dosages? How do you feel before and after each dose? Is the nausea more intense at any particular times of day?

 

Okay I attached the report. 

 

I take Ozempic 1/week as an injection.

Cymbalta and Prozac in the morning when I get up. Usually around 6 or 7.

Mirtazapine at bedtime

Metformin 2x a day - breakfast and dinner

 

No noticeable differences after taking any meds. 

 

I just feel like I've lost my appetite in the last 7-10 days or so. I had this to some degree since I discontinued and reinstated, but everything was getting better, including that. It seems to have regressed recently. Perhaps it's just a bad wave? 

 

I'm going to make an appointment with a gastroenterologist to have it checked out, too.

Drug Interaction Report - Drugs.com.pdf

-Since 2017-ish I've been on Cymbalta & Mirtazapine. At max dose it was 120mg cymbalta and 45mg mirtazapine. This combo was meant to deal with a depressive episode and it worked. Over the next few years I tapered down from those high doses. I had tried to get off the cymbalta twice and had to reinstate twice. I don't remember when. Maybe 2018? 2019? 

-Since 2020 I've been stable 20mg cymbalta and 7.5mg mirtazapine (this is mainly for sleep now). I have come off of the mirtazapine before without trouble, but still take it occasionally for sleep. 

-August 2nd began taking 10mg prozac as a bridge to attempt to get off cymbalta. Took 10mg for about a week then 20mg for a few days. Stopped taking the cymbalta and was doing okay for a bit, but things didn't seem to get better and maybe have been getting worse. 

-8/25/2021 - 20mg cymbalta and struggling. Stopped the prozac. I'm struggling, but I can probably ride this out if I had to. My concern is that things will continue to get worse, as they seem to be doing. 

-8/29/2021 - things started to get worse. Probably prozac withdrawal. Reinstated 20mg prozac. 

-9/2/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 7.5 mg mirtazapine --> 9/24/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 11/7/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 4/24/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac   --> 6/5/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.33mg prozac

Link to comment
thenextguy Contributor

thenextguy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I forgot to mention that when I do eat food, I get very full quickly. That makes me think it's delayed gastric emptying. 

-Since 2017-ish I've been on Cymbalta & Mirtazapine. At max dose it was 120mg cymbalta and 45mg mirtazapine. This combo was meant to deal with a depressive episode and it worked. Over the next few years I tapered down from those high doses. I had tried to get off the cymbalta twice and had to reinstate twice. I don't remember when. Maybe 2018? 2019? 

-Since 2020 I've been stable 20mg cymbalta and 7.5mg mirtazapine (this is mainly for sleep now). I have come off of the mirtazapine before without trouble, but still take it occasionally for sleep. 

-August 2nd began taking 10mg prozac as a bridge to attempt to get off cymbalta. Took 10mg for about a week then 20mg for a few days. Stopped taking the cymbalta and was doing okay for a bit, but things didn't seem to get better and maybe have been getting worse. 

-8/25/2021 - 20mg cymbalta and struggling. Stopped the prozac. I'm struggling, but I can probably ride this out if I had to. My concern is that things will continue to get worse, as they seem to be doing. 

-8/29/2021 - things started to get worse. Probably prozac withdrawal. Reinstated 20mg prozac. 

-9/2/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 7.5 mg mirtazapine --> 9/24/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 11/7/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 4/24/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac   --> 6/5/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.33mg prozac

Link to comment
  • Administrator
Altostrata Grand Master

Altostrata

Posted
  • Administrator
Posted

Please supply a link to Google Drive or to the report on drugs.com. I'd rather not download anything.

 

7 minutes ago, thenextguy said:

I take Ozempic 1/week as an injection.

Cymbalta and Prozac in the morning when I get up. Usually around 6 or 7.

Mirtazapine at bedtime

Metformin 2x a day - breakfast and dinner

 

I need the exact times o'clock, with dosages, thank you. If you're taking psychiatric drugs on an approximate schedule, that may be the cause of some of your problems.

 

Why are you taking Ozempic and metformin? Please review adverse effects of each drug on drugs.com. You will need to research whether your symptoms are related to these drugs. If so, you need to talk to a specialist for the condition they are intended to treat, they're not psychiatric drugs and we don't know anything about them.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

Link to comment
thenextguy Contributor

thenextguy

Posted
  • Author
Posted
2 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

Please supply a link to Google Drive or to the report on drugs.com. I'd rather not download anything.

 

 

I need the exact times o'clock, with dosages, thank you. If you're taking psychiatric drugs on an approximate schedule, that may be the cause of some of your problems.

 

Why are you taking Ozempic and metformin? Please review adverse effects of each drug on drugs.com. You will need to research whether your symptoms are related to these drugs. If so, you need to talk to a specialist for the condition they are intended to treat, they're not psychiatric drugs and we don't know anything about them.

Thank you for the feedback. I don’t take my drugs at the exact same time every day. 
 

I realize you can’t offer advice about everything. I guess I was just wondering if what I was describing could be related to my PAWS. I realize it could be other stuff, but could it be withdrawal-related, too.

 

 

-Since 2017-ish I've been on Cymbalta & Mirtazapine. At max dose it was 120mg cymbalta and 45mg mirtazapine. This combo was meant to deal with a depressive episode and it worked. Over the next few years I tapered down from those high doses. I had tried to get off the cymbalta twice and had to reinstate twice. I don't remember when. Maybe 2018? 2019? 

-Since 2020 I've been stable 20mg cymbalta and 7.5mg mirtazapine (this is mainly for sleep now). I have come off of the mirtazapine before without trouble, but still take it occasionally for sleep. 

-August 2nd began taking 10mg prozac as a bridge to attempt to get off cymbalta. Took 10mg for about a week then 20mg for a few days. Stopped taking the cymbalta and was doing okay for a bit, but things didn't seem to get better and maybe have been getting worse. 

-8/25/2021 - 20mg cymbalta and struggling. Stopped the prozac. I'm struggling, but I can probably ride this out if I had to. My concern is that things will continue to get worse, as they seem to be doing. 

-8/29/2021 - things started to get worse. Probably prozac withdrawal. Reinstated 20mg prozac. 

-9/2/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 7.5 mg mirtazapine --> 9/24/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 11/7/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 4/24/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac   --> 6/5/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.33mg prozac

Link to comment
  • Administrator
Altostrata Grand Master

Altostrata

Posted
  • Administrator
Posted

You must take your drugs on a regular daily schedule. Taking psychiatric drugs irregularly could cause a lot of unpleasant symptoms. If your non-psychiatric drugs interact with your psychiatric drugs, taking them irregularly could cause problems, too.

 

If you don't want to take your drugs on a regular schedule, we won't be able to help you. Your symptom pattern will be impossible to interpret. Symptoms could be from any of your drugs, withdrawal, or something else. Irregular dosing is beyond peer support.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

Link to comment
thenextguy Contributor

thenextguy

Posted
  • Author
Posted
17 hours ago, Altostrata said:

You must take your drugs on a regular daily schedule. Taking psychiatric drugs irregularly could cause a lot of unpleasant symptoms. If your non-psychiatric drugs interact with your psychiatric drugs, taking them irregularly could cause problems, too.

 

If you don't want to take your drugs on a regular schedule, we won't be able to help you. Your symptom pattern will be impossible to interpret. Symptoms could be from any of your drugs, withdrawal, or something else. Irregular dosing is beyond peer support.

 

I understand. I'll start tracking when I take my meds and do it at the same time each day. 

 

Last night there was a bit of a break through. I ate normally and felt completely fine. As in, completely stable. And today I'm also feeling a bit better. So I'm starting to think I may have just hit a wave.

 

I guess I hoped I'd be more stable after two months of reinstatement, but I guess not.  

-Since 2017-ish I've been on Cymbalta & Mirtazapine. At max dose it was 120mg cymbalta and 45mg mirtazapine. This combo was meant to deal with a depressive episode and it worked. Over the next few years I tapered down from those high doses. I had tried to get off the cymbalta twice and had to reinstate twice. I don't remember when. Maybe 2018? 2019? 

-Since 2020 I've been stable 20mg cymbalta and 7.5mg mirtazapine (this is mainly for sleep now). I have come off of the mirtazapine before without trouble, but still take it occasionally for sleep. 

-August 2nd began taking 10mg prozac as a bridge to attempt to get off cymbalta. Took 10mg for about a week then 20mg for a few days. Stopped taking the cymbalta and was doing okay for a bit, but things didn't seem to get better and maybe have been getting worse. 

-8/25/2021 - 20mg cymbalta and struggling. Stopped the prozac. I'm struggling, but I can probably ride this out if I had to. My concern is that things will continue to get worse, as they seem to be doing. 

-8/29/2021 - things started to get worse. Probably prozac withdrawal. Reinstated 20mg prozac. 

-9/2/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 7.5 mg mirtazapine --> 9/24/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 11/7/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 4/24/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac   --> 6/5/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.33mg prozac

Link to comment
  • Administrator
Altostrata Grand Master

Altostrata

Posted
  • Administrator
Posted
20 minutes ago, thenextguy said:

I guess I hoped I'd be more stable after two months of reinstatement, but I guess not.  

 

You can't get stable when you're taking the drugs irregularly.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

Link to comment
thenextguy Contributor

thenextguy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I think I figured out what’s going on the last few weeks: POTS, Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

 

All of my recent symptoms fit.

-Worse in the morning. 

-Sweating

-Nausea

-Light-headed when standing

-high heart rate

 

 I’m seeing my doctor about this on Friday. I’m guessing this is related to the discontinuation, as it’s caused by dysautonomia.

 

I hope goes away. It’s strange because everything was trending in the right direction as recently as 2-3 weeks ago. 

 

-Since 2017-ish I've been on Cymbalta & Mirtazapine. At max dose it was 120mg cymbalta and 45mg mirtazapine. This combo was meant to deal with a depressive episode and it worked. Over the next few years I tapered down from those high doses. I had tried to get off the cymbalta twice and had to reinstate twice. I don't remember when. Maybe 2018? 2019? 

-Since 2020 I've been stable 20mg cymbalta and 7.5mg mirtazapine (this is mainly for sleep now). I have come off of the mirtazapine before without trouble, but still take it occasionally for sleep. 

-August 2nd began taking 10mg prozac as a bridge to attempt to get off cymbalta. Took 10mg for about a week then 20mg for a few days. Stopped taking the cymbalta and was doing okay for a bit, but things didn't seem to get better and maybe have been getting worse. 

-8/25/2021 - 20mg cymbalta and struggling. Stopped the prozac. I'm struggling, but I can probably ride this out if I had to. My concern is that things will continue to get worse, as they seem to be doing. 

-8/29/2021 - things started to get worse. Probably prozac withdrawal. Reinstated 20mg prozac. 

-9/2/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 7.5 mg mirtazapine --> 9/24/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 11/7/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 4/24/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac   --> 6/5/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.33mg prozac

Link to comment
  • 2 months later...
thenextguy Contributor

thenextguy

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Hi everyone,

 

It's been a while and thought I'd throw in an update. In early November I had been feeling better. Not 100%, but better. Since it had been about 2 months on 5mg prozac, I decided to try to cut it down to 3.75mg. So for the last 69 days I've been at the meds in my signature 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac and 3.75 mirtazapine. I really want to get off the prozac, but it's proving to be a challenge. It's been 69 days since my last med change and I'm still struggling. I'm managing to function, but life is not pleasant overall. 

 

Some weeks are better than others, but as you know the waves and windows can be deceptive. 

 

In researching prozac more on this site and on other sites, I learned about how it's really two drugs. Fluoxetine and then its main metabolite, norfluoxetine. And here's the crazy part, it is believed that norfluoxetine is the stronger serotonin reuptake inhibitor. 

 

Fluoxetine has a half life of up to 6 days, but norfluoxetine has a half life of up to 16 days! So while everyone metabolizes drugs differently, it's entirely possible that after you cut a dose of prozac, your meds have not reached a new equilibrium for up to 110 days. (up to 30 days for fluoxetine and up to 80 days for norfluoxetine after the last bit of fluoxetine is metabolized). That kind of blew me away when I realized that!

 

Then it occurred to me that even thought I have held at 5mg prozac for 60 days and now 69 days at 3.75mg, ever since I started this journey on August 2nd, at no point have the meds within my body been stable. 0 days of stability! They were either going up or they have been decreasing due to the long half life of norfluoxetine! So for 5.5 months I haven't had a single stable day of meds! 

 

Because of this, I have decided that I'm going to completely hold at these levels until I feel completely stabilized. I have no idea how long that will be. And then once I feel completely normal, I'll probably hold for a bit longer before cutting again. My next cut on the prozac will be much smaller. I only went from 5 to 3.75 because I had not been on it very long at the time, but now I have been on it for months. 

 

Anyway, glad to see @Go2zero around again. Hope things improve for us both. 

Edited by thenextguy
typo

-Since 2017-ish I've been on Cymbalta & Mirtazapine. At max dose it was 120mg cymbalta and 45mg mirtazapine. This combo was meant to deal with a depressive episode and it worked. Over the next few years I tapered down from those high doses. I had tried to get off the cymbalta twice and had to reinstate twice. I don't remember when. Maybe 2018? 2019? 

-Since 2020 I've been stable 20mg cymbalta and 7.5mg mirtazapine (this is mainly for sleep now). I have come off of the mirtazapine before without trouble, but still take it occasionally for sleep. 

-August 2nd began taking 10mg prozac as a bridge to attempt to get off cymbalta. Took 10mg for about a week then 20mg for a few days. Stopped taking the cymbalta and was doing okay for a bit, but things didn't seem to get better and maybe have been getting worse. 

-8/25/2021 - 20mg cymbalta and struggling. Stopped the prozac. I'm struggling, but I can probably ride this out if I had to. My concern is that things will continue to get worse, as they seem to be doing. 

-8/29/2021 - things started to get worse. Probably prozac withdrawal. Reinstated 20mg prozac. 

-9/2/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 7.5 mg mirtazapine --> 9/24/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 11/7/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 4/24/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac   --> 6/5/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.33mg prozac

Link to comment
thenextguy Contributor

thenextguy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thank god for windows! Today was the best day I've had in months. I'm sure I'm not out of the woods. Tomorrow might suck, but today is great. It reminds me that things are moving in the right direction. Cheers to you, Mr. Random Window Out of Nowhere. 

-Since 2017-ish I've been on Cymbalta & Mirtazapine. At max dose it was 120mg cymbalta and 45mg mirtazapine. This combo was meant to deal with a depressive episode and it worked. Over the next few years I tapered down from those high doses. I had tried to get off the cymbalta twice and had to reinstate twice. I don't remember when. Maybe 2018? 2019? 

-Since 2020 I've been stable 20mg cymbalta and 7.5mg mirtazapine (this is mainly for sleep now). I have come off of the mirtazapine before without trouble, but still take it occasionally for sleep. 

-August 2nd began taking 10mg prozac as a bridge to attempt to get off cymbalta. Took 10mg for about a week then 20mg for a few days. Stopped taking the cymbalta and was doing okay for a bit, but things didn't seem to get better and maybe have been getting worse. 

-8/25/2021 - 20mg cymbalta and struggling. Stopped the prozac. I'm struggling, but I can probably ride this out if I had to. My concern is that things will continue to get worse, as they seem to be doing. 

-8/29/2021 - things started to get worse. Probably prozac withdrawal. Reinstated 20mg prozac. 

-9/2/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 7.5 mg mirtazapine --> 9/24/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 11/7/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 4/24/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac   --> 6/5/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.33mg prozac

Link to comment
  • 3 months later...
thenextguy Contributor

thenextguy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Just updating my thread with some news. I'm now off the 3.75mg of mirtazapine. I had been feeling much more like myself so I decided to try to taper off of it. It went well! I'm probably going to wait another month or two and then tackle the prozac. 

-Since 2017-ish I've been on Cymbalta & Mirtazapine. At max dose it was 120mg cymbalta and 45mg mirtazapine. This combo was meant to deal with a depressive episode and it worked. Over the next few years I tapered down from those high doses. I had tried to get off the cymbalta twice and had to reinstate twice. I don't remember when. Maybe 2018? 2019? 

-Since 2020 I've been stable 20mg cymbalta and 7.5mg mirtazapine (this is mainly for sleep now). I have come off of the mirtazapine before without trouble, but still take it occasionally for sleep. 

-August 2nd began taking 10mg prozac as a bridge to attempt to get off cymbalta. Took 10mg for about a week then 20mg for a few days. Stopped taking the cymbalta and was doing okay for a bit, but things didn't seem to get better and maybe have been getting worse. 

-8/25/2021 - 20mg cymbalta and struggling. Stopped the prozac. I'm struggling, but I can probably ride this out if I had to. My concern is that things will continue to get worse, as they seem to be doing. 

-8/29/2021 - things started to get worse. Probably prozac withdrawal. Reinstated 20mg prozac. 

-9/2/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 7.5 mg mirtazapine --> 9/24/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 5mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 11/7/2021 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac, 3.75 mg mirtazapine --> 4/24/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.75mg prozac   --> 6/5/2022 - 20mg cymbalta, 3.33mg prozac

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use Privacy Policy

  I accept